A comprehensive method to determine performance metrics for complex fenestration systems

The ability to accurately and concisely describe the performance of complex fenestration systems (CFS) is essential to their effective implementation into the building industry. CFS are a diverse category of daylighting technologies that manipulate the light that is permitted to enter a building space. The variety and degree of dynamics that exist in the range of such technologies require a robust and flexible set of metrics that can communicate performance simply and informatively. This paper presents an approach for processing their detailed optical properties - expressed as Bi-Directional Transmission Functions (BTDF) - into a comprehensible set of metrics that can convey useful information about a system’s adherence to visual comfort and energy-efficiency objectives. These metrics can then inform non-technical members of the building industry about the performance capabilities of a façade. This paper describes the novel method by which performance is evaluated, accounting for spatial and temporal variation in environmental condition.